Identity

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Photo of an aeroplane parked at Bologna Airport with the terminal and control tower in the background.

Communication and language

idea

Speaking a different language can change how you act and feel

For many multilinguals, switching between tongues can lead to shifts in personality, revealing the malleability of the self

by Antonella Gismundi

Painting of settlers in covered wagons crossing a grassy landscape with mountains in the background and people on horses nearby.

Identity

idea

I rebuilt my self-esteem by changing the story of who I am

I once clung to a dubious family legend to help me cope with a difficult childhood. I’ve since found a better story to tell

by Patricia Olsen

Photo of wooden bookshelves filled with books, small decor items and framed pictures in a cosy room setting.

Stories and literature

guide

How to nurture a personal library

An escape, a sanctuary, a place of pleasure, a memoir. Take these steps to ensure your library is just what you want it to be

by Freya Howarth

A man with a beard and glasses wearing a wide-brimmed hat and blue clothes stands outdoors near a pond, with trees in the background.

Spirituality and religion

film

When his faith crumbles, an ‘Amish atheist’ rebuilds his world from scratch

Directed by Lance Edmands

The self

idea

What does it take for someone to become a ‘different person’?

What does it really mean when you say of an individual that they are so transformed as to be a ‘different person’?

by John Schwenkler

Photo of a man lounging on a beach towel with a ball as a pillow a woman sits nearby with colourful umbrellas and buildings.

Sex and sexuality

idea

Human bodies change through life. So does our sexuality

Sexual identity is more than sexual orientation. It develops and changes as our bodies develop and change through our lives

by Jana Byars

A yellow shirt on a hanger by a door with sunlight streaming in through a window in the background.

Work and vocation

guide

Six ways to use clothes to boost your confidence at work

Regardless of your budget or fashion sense, dressing with more intention can benefit your mindset and performance

by Dahlia Stroud

A Jewish man wearing glasses and a platchige biber hat, speaking into a microphone at a comedy club, with a brick wall and a blurred sign in the background.

Laughter and comedy

film

An Orthodox Jew struggles to balance his two callings – religion and comedy

Directed by Jonathan Miller

Photo of people in winter clothing exiting a tram at a busy station.

Autism

idea

Late autism diagnosis: it’s a relief, but who’s behind the mask?

By the time an adult learns they’re autistic, they have often been covering up for years. A period of self-discovery awaits

by Leonie Mercedes

A blue sports car and a grey luxury car parked on a city street with people and a Christian Dior shop in the background.

Gender

idea

The ‘masculinity crisis’ is actually a crisis of self-esteem

There’s a modern belief that talent or effort can carry anyone to the top. It’s a myth that’s especially harmful to men

by Leo Rogers

Various hats displayed on stands in a shop window with a blurred street scene and bicycle outside.

Identity

guide

You have multiple ‘social identities’ – here’s how to manage them

As social beings, our identities are bound up with different groups – here’s how to juggle all the various hats you wear

by Anna K Zinn

Person holding a vintage photograph featuring six people standing in a field with trees in the background.

Photography

film

Hawaii, reflected in intricate and dignified slow photography

Directed by Jake Viramontez